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Forsaken
Romantic love is a formidable alchemist, and even in its demise it has the power to turn your pain into power.
In the follow up to her first book of poetry, Forlorn, Ruth Boukhari's chapbook Forsaken takes you on a poetic journey on the profound human experience of romantic love.
From the extraordinary miracle of falling in love, to the tragedy of its demise, and coming out on the other side of heartbreak as a new version of yourself, perpetually changed by the poignant experience, but powerfully transformed.
In the follow up to her first book of poetry, Forlorn, Ruth Boukhari's chapbook Forsaken takes you on a poetic journey on the profound human experience of romantic love.
From the extraordinary miracle of falling in love, to the tragedy of its demise, and coming out on the other side of heartbreak as a new version of yourself, perpetually changed by the poignant experience, but powerfully transformed.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2024
About the author
Ruth Boukhari
5 books16 followersRuth is an Australian poet and freelance writer whose work has appeared on Tiny Buddha, YourTango, The Good Men Project, and Medium.
She is also the author of Forlorn (2021) and Forsaken (2024), both poignant collections of love poetry.
Her latest book, Formidable (2024), is a poetic exploration of powerful women in ancient mythology and folklore.
Ruth graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and gained her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Sydney.
She is also the author of Forlorn (2021) and Forsaken (2024), both poignant collections of love poetry.
Her latest book, Formidable (2024), is a poetic exploration of powerful women in ancient mythology and folklore.
Ruth graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and gained her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Sydney.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 28, 2024
Ruth Boukhari’s collection of poetry, Forsaken, takes the reader through the themes of love, lust, heartbreak, and everything in between. There are 21 poems in the collection, and most of them have one-word titles that capture the essence of each poem. Many are short, containing a dozen lines or less, and told in free verse rather than in a formal style (although there’s at least one exception).
But I must say this collection packs a punch, even for its brevity. The poetry covers a wide range of topics about relationships, and it has vivid description throughout. The words sing off the page, whether that song is a celebration or a dirge.
The journey for the reader starts with affairs of the heart and evocative lines that are both sensual and romantic. The poems begin by speaking of forbidden love, carnal acts, and moments of peace after being consumed by passion.
For example, “Secret” has a beautiful and musical line that sums up many of the early poems in the collection: “My heart on fire is what ignites the sun.”
The poems take the reader through the pandemic as well, and how love changes with “this apathy, this lethargy, / this lack therof living” in the poem “I’m Fine.” Just as the sentiment “I’m fine” expresses a person who is not okay, so too does this poem explore how the relationship changes as the world crumbles around the lovers.
Then love crumbles as well. The overarching story told becomes one of heartbreak, of loss, as the relationship breaks apart, and the poems become shorter and less effusive. They each contain a single moment of pain, a single moment of longing for before. For anyone who’s fallen to the depths of anguish after a loss, the emotions in these poems will be immediately relatable.
Despite the lows, the collection then goes on to show the healing process afterward. Heartbreak doesn’t last forever, and love can bloom again. There is no low without a high to follow it again, and the concluding poetry leaves the reader with a feeling both optimistic and fulfilled for having gone on this journey with the author.
I’d highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy poetry—it beautifully shows the highs and lows of love, and it’s simply an amazing read.
But I must say this collection packs a punch, even for its brevity. The poetry covers a wide range of topics about relationships, and it has vivid description throughout. The words sing off the page, whether that song is a celebration or a dirge.
The journey for the reader starts with affairs of the heart and evocative lines that are both sensual and romantic. The poems begin by speaking of forbidden love, carnal acts, and moments of peace after being consumed by passion.
For example, “Secret” has a beautiful and musical line that sums up many of the early poems in the collection: “My heart on fire is what ignites the sun.”
The poems take the reader through the pandemic as well, and how love changes with “this apathy, this lethargy, / this lack therof living” in the poem “I’m Fine.” Just as the sentiment “I’m fine” expresses a person who is not okay, so too does this poem explore how the relationship changes as the world crumbles around the lovers.
Then love crumbles as well. The overarching story told becomes one of heartbreak, of loss, as the relationship breaks apart, and the poems become shorter and less effusive. They each contain a single moment of pain, a single moment of longing for before. For anyone who’s fallen to the depths of anguish after a loss, the emotions in these poems will be immediately relatable.
Despite the lows, the collection then goes on to show the healing process afterward. Heartbreak doesn’t last forever, and love can bloom again. There is no low without a high to follow it again, and the concluding poetry leaves the reader with a feeling both optimistic and fulfilled for having gone on this journey with the author.
I’d highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy poetry—it beautifully shows the highs and lows of love, and it’s simply an amazing read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review